Under the Old Oak Tree
by Josiefeathergirl
Summary: John takes his final visit to the tree they sat together under, so many years ago.


A/N: This story was originally in second person POV, if you would prefer to read the original, then you can visit my ao3 account (link on my profile) and read it on there.

Sorry this took me so long to repost. Enjoy!

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She sits under her tree, the big oak, reading her journal. Her long black hair gently sways in the wind as she lifts her blue eyes and smiles as I approach. The summer air is warm and the insects buzz happily in the long grass. I sit down beside her and adjust my glasses as your lean against the great oak. I can feel the warmth of her as our shoulders touch and she stares at me with warm love in her gaze. I can't resist the urge to reach over to grab her hand, but my heart sinks as I can only grasp nothing but the cool breeze.

The girl, who once played with fate by the number of eight, has been long gone. Her smile will no longer make my stomach do those weird flips and her hands will never take mine again. The wind whispers her name around my head until the thoughts of her bring me to tears.

They told me not to come out here anymore, but sometimes I feel as if she still lives. As if she is out there waiting for me to join her. This place where we used to meet in secret, in fear of your parents finding out, I still wait for her to meet you once more. In two different worlds you can feel her; in two different worlds I will love her.

Some times while I wait here, I wonder where she could be. Maybe, hopefully, laughing happily with the rest of her family in a place much better than this. A place where luck would be on her side.

Under her tree I can still feel her and the love she left for me. I finger the leather book I always bring here. The book she brought with her from place to place. Always with her, tucked under one arm or out and in sight with her eyes flicking over the old pages. I never looked inside though. She warned me not to. I don't understand why, but I have this eerie feeling that this old book is significant to everything that has happened. That one fearful night she gave it to me to keep safe and I still won't let it out of my sight. But today that will change.

I open the small bag you brought with and remove the hand held shovel. I will put the book in the place where she will find it. More tears escape my blue eyes and wet my cheeks as I start to dig. I feel like I am burying her. In a way I am I guess; I'm burying the only remaining piece of her at least. The rest is gone, her body gone with the rest of her belongings. I have her last piece.

The last piece is not mine to keep though. For years I have kept it knowing this day would come. The day I must return it to her. I promised to keep it safe until she could have it back and now she needs it.

Sometimes I want to believe them when they say you're insane, but I know it's her in my dreams. I've grown up, a man now, I've forgotten my childish day dreams, but her dreams remain. They aren't mine to remove. She's still there in my head and bossing me around.

Despite everything, a small smile forms through the tears. As I dig I remember the stories she has told me in my dreams; stories about other worlds and treasure hunts. The same Vriska I always knew. She has changed a lot too; she's grown up, just like me. But unlike me, she still plays in my dreams. There's no world for her to face, no choices for her to make, no life to live. Today marks the day in which I have to leave her behind. Today I open my eyes.

By burying the book I hope she can find her treasure and save the universe, while I start my life. I am going off to college and leaving this small town behind. The town gossip was that I would stay; I did promise I would never leave her, but we both know I can't stay forever.

It was her turn to promise she will never leave me. Vriska promised she will continue to watch me grow and explore the world that I have to walk, but I have to get my head out of the bubbles and move on with my life. I really didn't want to, but Vriska always claimed she knew best. She was always looking out for me, and now I have to make her proud.

The leather is rough and stale in my hands, yet I never want to let go of it. It's her; it's all I have left now. Slowly I bring the old leather to my lips and place a gentle kiss on the cover. A message for her; I'll always love her.

I don't know how long I sit there staring at the book in my hands and the perfectly sized hole in front of me. The breeze becomes harsher and colder until it sends shivers running down my spine as it strikes. The sun is setting; it's time for me to go back. Soon they'll be looking for me. They'll come with smiles, congratulations, and cake. Argh. My time is running out, and I can't prolong this forever.

Slowly I lower the book into the dirt, but my hand still stays firmly placed on it. I am unable to move it. The wind whispers to me, warning me that I'm taking too long, but I can't leave her, not yet. I snatch the book out of the ground and hold to my chest.

Now, I don't care that my time has gone or that I'm pathetically curled up crying her name, I can't grow up. I don't want to, not without her.

Clamping my eyes shut, I block out the world, the wind, my thoughts, anything that's not her. I could have stayed like that forever; I probably would have, if my shoulder wasn't suddenly warmed by a gentle hand. Daring, I lift my head up, and I find myself looking into my favorite pair of blue eyes. Her smile is light, like I remember, but her eyes are heavy and glistening with tears.

Vriska kneels down in front of me and cups my face, her hands spreading warmth throughout my whole face. Neither of us says anything; I guess our eyes say it all. She looks at me the same she did all those years ago. The look that makes me want to stay with her forever, the look that tells her love more clearly than any words could.

Leaning forward, she kisses me softly. Her lips are soft, warm, and leave a familiar taste on my lips.

"I love you," I murmur to the wind.

She nods, "I will always love you John." Her distant voice is carried by a warm wind to my ears.

I can't help but let another tear roll down my cheek at the sound of those words. Those words that haven't been spoken in years. All those years, maybe I just needed to hear them one more time.

Her thumb brushes away tear of both joy and longing before she removes her hands from my face and brings them to rest on top of mine. I instantly know what this gesture means. The reason she's here with me, the book.

Taking my eyes off hers, I look down at the beloved book in my hands. Vriska's spidery hands guide my desperate hands away from the safety of my body. As I look back up her she nods. It's time, we can do it together.

With her hands resting in top of mine, we lower the book into the hole. This time I let go. I look back up at her to make sure she's still there. She simply smiles and motions to the pile of dirt. When it's evident I'm still not ready to bury it, she takes the first handful and dumps it into the hole. After taking a deep breath that fills my lungs and my head, I  
follow her example.

It doesn't take long for the two of us to fill in the hole. Taking the last bit of dirt, I pat it down and admire our work. Together, we let go together. Looking back up I'm not surprised to see nothing but the old oak and the fields that extend past it.

Dusting my hands off, I stand up and take one last look at our tree. In the fading light I can barely see the carving of the J+V, but it's still there. It will always be there. Just like she will, in my heart.


End file.
